The North Carolina National Guard explained to the Daily Caller why a plane loaded with aid for those affected by Hurricane Helene during Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit never made the delivery following claims that the visit was staged.

While on Shawn Ryan’s podcast Thursday, Aerial Recovery members Jonathan Howard and Charlie Keebaugh claimed that the North Carolina National Guard had to load an entire C-17 with supplies just to stage a photo op for Vice President Kamala Harris, adding that the loaded plane was never sent to aid in hurricane relief. Lt. Ellis Parks, the Director of Public Affairs for the North Carolina National Guard, told the Caller that the visit was not a photo op and that the plane suffered mechanical issues, which kept it from making its trip.

The aid loaded on the original plane, however, did make it to hurricane relief efforts the next morning, Parks told the Caller.

“Our guys at 145th Airlift Wing said, ‘We didn’t load the plane because she was coming; we were doing that because the people of Asheville need us,'” a North Carolina National Guard official told the Caller.

Harris visited the North Carolina National Guard base Oct. 5 to see how first responders were responding to Hurricane Helene. While the vice president was on the base, she met with officials, and a C-17 is seen in photos being loaded with hurricane relief aid.

That plane, with the serial number 01-0197, however, did not fly out to Asheville following the vice president’s visit. Instead it flew out Oct. 9 to Germany, according to flight records from flight radar.

Parks explained to the Caller that once the plane was loaded with hurricane relief supplies, they went to start the C-17, but there was a fuel maintenance issue. All of the aid loaded on to the C-17 01-0197 was then loaded off of the plane and put onto a different C-17, 062, Parks continued.

That new C-17, 062, also suffered mechanical issues that evening, but the next morning, Oct. 6, was able to deliver the aid to Asheville, Parks said.

Parks added that the North Carolina National Guard was always planning on loading the plane with hurricane relief Oct. 5 and that it was not a request of the vice president’s office that they load it during her visit.

A person familiar with the situation told the Caller that the vice president’s trip did not interfere with the National Guard’s existing plans for loading planes to distribute supplies to those in need.

The Aerial Recovery members had claimed earlier on Ryan’s podcast that they had heard from North Carolina National Guard members that the original C-17 was loaded just so the vice president could take a photo and video in front of it. Other social media personalities and pundits then circulated the clip from Ryan’s podcast.

NEW: The NC National Guard allegedly loaded an entire C17 with supplies just so Kamala Harris could stage a photo-op for Hurricane Helene without the intention of the supplies being used.

The accusation came from Aerial Recovery members Jonathan Howard and Charlie Keebaugh on… pic.twitter.com/z3MLkrwDmI

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 11, 2024

🚨BREAKING: Kamala Harris ordered the North Carolina National Guard to load disaster relief supplies onto a cargo plane just for a photo op with the intention of NEVER sending the supplies to storm victims

This disqualifies her from running for office pic.twitter.com/RZnKnKeZ6u

— Hodgetwins (@hodgetwins) October 10, 2024

“I had a squadron commander from North Carolina reach out to me. They had to load a C-17 full of supplies just to take a photo op for Kamala. And they never sent the bird,” Howard told Ryan.

“They loaded an entire C-17 full of supplies for the hurricane victims just for Kamala to go there, take a photo, take a video and they never sent the C-17,” Howard continued.

Parks told the Caller they were gathering the maintenance codes and planned to share them with the public to show why the original plane did not take off.

As Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton have hit the southeast, Harris and Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have engaged in a back and forth over “political games” in responding to the crisis. The vice president had complained Wednesday that the response to Hurricane Milton was becoming political just days after she had criticized DeSantis for not taking her phone calls on the matter. (RELATED: Biden Gets Offered A Perfect Chance To Defend Kamala Harris, But Praises DeSantis Instead)

The Florida governor responded to the Harris comments, blasting them as “political games” and suggesting that they could be a campaign stunt. President Joe Biden whiffed on an opportunity to defend Harris after a reporter asked if he thought DeSantis needed to take her calls.

“All I can tell you is I’ve talked to Gov. DeSantis. He’s been very gracious. He’s thanked me for all we’ve done. He knows what we are doing, and I think that’s important,” the president answered before leaving the room Wednesday.